


Heart And Home

by Galfridus



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Some Spoilers, These two deserve a date, set after the end of season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:20:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21723643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galfridus/pseuds/Galfridus
Summary: The final battle is over. Callum and Rayla get to live another day and Callum has asked Soren of all people for relationship advice. The pair explore Xadia and their own feelings as they go on their first proper date.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 103





	Heart And Home

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading this if you’re looking! I really hope you like it. It is so much fun writing for The Dragon Prince fandom. This is my first time writing Rayla so please do let me know what you think. I love this couple.
> 
> Many thanks to JacklynnFrost for beta reading - you are wonderful!

“What is this all about?” 

Rayla skips over the stones, her voice unusually bright as she tries and fails to ignore the destruction caused by the battle. Her eyes flit between charred rock and smashed boulders. The bodies, casualties of a brutal battle, have all been carried away and teams of humans and sun elves are working in sync to try and make good the damage. But there is a lot to accomplish and, as she looks round, heart sinking like a stone, Rayla begins to realise the land surrounding the Storm Spire will never be the same. 

The dragons’ fire has left what would become permanent scars in the ground, a reminder of the day they all fought for Xadia. These deep trenches will eventually recover, be coated with a dusting of verdant grass and small flowers. A fitting memorial perhaps. A reminder of the destruction brought by war and the way growth and beauty are protected by peace. All that is except for the huge hole in the ground caused by Claudia’s explosion. Ibis had already surveyed that monstrosity and declared that the rift dark magic had rent in the soil would never,  _ could _ never, recover. It will stay there forever. The dragons refuse to even go near it, hissing and snarling whenever they draw near as they edge back away towards the Storm Spire. 

And yet still Callum has a smile on his face. A sheepish one, yes, but it is a smile. Rayla looks at him closely, her brow furrowing as he keeps walking past all the industry of the clean up effort, each step taking him further and further away from the mountain. 

She draws to a sharp halt. “I said, what is going on?” she repeats with a little laugh. There is no sting to her words. Callum’s admission of love, and her own in return, still lingers on her soul, making her grin broadly at odd moments. It is impossible to be sad or angry or even displeased for long. 

Callum turns round. “On. Going on. Yes. Well… I thought it would be nice to see a bit more of Xadia. There must be loads of places to explore. I packed a picnic,” he adds, one hand patting the leather satchel strapped round his shoulder as the other reaches for her. Without thinking she takes it, their fingers lacing together. “We can make a day of it. Just the two of us.”

Rayla’s eyes widen. “Is this... a date?” she asks incredulously. 

“A date? No! No. No.” Callum glances at her, every single one of his emotions flickering in quick succession across his features and she has to force herself not to wrap her arms tight around him. “I mean, yes,” he says diffidently. “Yes, it is. Soren said girls who are together with someone like going on dates. Is that… okay?”

“You took advice from Soren? About me?” Rayla’s laugh echos over the land. Quickly she squeezes Callum’s hand, leaning over to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Yeah, it’s okay,” she reassures, warmth flooding her chest as he visibly relaxes, his shoulders dropping and his green eyes fluttering closed for a moment. “I’d like that,” she adds more firmly, determined to make sure Callum feels no unease. 

Callum lets out a sigh of relief. “Phew. Alright then. So… where shall we go?” he asks as he looks around. “Do you want to go back across that desert thing? Or… can we go on? That way.” He points to the east, the sun’s rays warming her back as she looks upon the deep blue of gathering dusk. She scans the horizon, a faint impression of the moon decorating the sky as evening draws close and she can feel its power pulsing under her skin. 

“I… I haven’t been there since I was a small child.” Rayla’s jaw tenses, memories of her parents flashing before her vision as if they are real events. Holding hands with her mother and father, swinging between them, the family surrounded by darkened trees lit up in red, green and blue by the bright tails of fireflies. She shakes her head. They are heroes, not the cowards she had come to believe. She can think of them without shame. She can. She really can. But still her chest twists, her stomach going into free fall until Callum pulls her into a close embrace. 

“It’s okay,” he murmurs into her ear and she chokes back a sob. He understands. His parents were warriors who, however misplaced their actions, cared for their people and put others first. They died for their kingdom and were recognised for their bravery. He had never experienced the deep ignominity of disgrace. And yet he still understands. Rayla clings to him, pulling him in tight to her as his arms snake around her. 

“They were wonderful parents and they loved you. It’s okay to remember them,” Callum murmurs as he draws back, his hands resting on her upper arms. “We don’t have to go that way. Let’s…”

“No.” Rayla forces herself to smile. “I want to. Let’s go.” 

She breaks away, taking a step, then another and looking back over her shoulder, just managing to restrain a snort when she sees Callum, apparently, rooted to the spot. Indecision is etched on his face, his right foot facing the way she is going while the rest of him leans in the other direction. “Come on. It’s full of magic…” she coaxes. 

She sets back on her way towards the moon, her pace slowing as she hears the clump of Callum’s footsteps behind her on her trail. With a little stumble he catches up; she holds out her hand and together they walk from the barren aftermath of the battle into meadows filled with long, swishing grass, the air fragrant with dew-soaked leaves and abundant wildflowers. Jewelled insects jump between the stalks as she pushes her way through the fields, she and Callum laughing as the bright bugs play leapfrog with their heads. 

It is nice, she thinks. Zym and Ezran and even Bait are wonderful travelling companions, but it is pleasant to be alone without the fear that someone is missing, and they can just chat about… everything. Well, not everything, Rayla notices. The topics of conversation which Callum puts forward focus on the fight, the beauty of Xadia, the exhilaration of magic. He steers well clear of their respective families and homes. 

Lost in thought, she almost doesn’t notice when they leave the open land for dense woodland, tall, dark trees shooting up towards the sky to blot out what remains of the sun. It is black as midnight. The blinking lights she is used to in her own forest are nowhere to be seen. It is like sinking into velvet, soft and enveloping, the chirrups of the insects and the breath of wind on the grass fading to a silence so complete it almost rings in her ears. The ground is mulched soil and roots, swallowing any trace of their footsteps as she and Callum proceed into the heart of the forest. There is no discussion. It is as if they are drawn onward, their hands clutched tightly as they make their way through the trees. 

Callum gives a strangled sort of yelp when they make it into a clearing and, looking around, Rayla cannot blame him. It is a wreck. A beautiful, stunning, eerie wreck, but a wreck just the same. She holds her breath. Stars burst above their heads, raining silver streams like shining dust to the land below. Shards of polished onyx rise up from the ground in what once must have been a tall archway, but their points are shattered and their once mirror-like sides are crisscrossed with white scars. Stepping through reveals dozens of houses carved out of stygian rock, the buildings in various stages of disrepair. It is dead. Nothing moves and nothing makes any sound, only the light of the stars pooling and concentrating to illuminate a statue in the centre of the village. An elf with flowing robes, pointed horns and long locks of white hair, diamond patterns chiselled under his eyes that glimmer in the spotlight cast down from the heavens. 

“I… I heard about this place,” Rayla whispers as she shrinks into Callum’s side. Something about the atmosphere chills her bones and she is drawn to his warmth. “This must be the land of the Startouch Elves.”

“What happened?” Callum asks as she grinds to a halt. 

“There was a fight.” Rayla screws up her face as she searches her memory. “The Startouch Elves had a mage. A really powerful mage. He went bad somehow, so the legends tell, and he was cast out by his clan. They refused to acknowledge him. Rather than accept his fate he stormed into a rage and destroyed them all.” She looks around at the stillness, a lump rising in her throat as the blank faces of her own kin materialise before her: no eyes, no lips. They have nothing for her and they refuse to even let her explain. 

“Are  _ you _ angry, Rayla?” Callum asks gently and she lets him draw her towards him so she can rest her head on his shoulder. “About being outcast. Are you mad about it?”

She does not respond, not trusting herself to speak, and Callum continues, “You remember I told you in my family we used to talk about the big feelings we have. I know you thought that was weird but… it really helps. Trust me. You should give it a try. Are you angry?” he asks again. 

“No.” Rayla lets her eyes slide closed, her lashes dampening as she fails to hold back a few telltale tears. “I’m not angry. I’m sad. Really sad. That was my home, and now… I don’t know if I can ever go back again. And it’s my fault. I let the others down. It’s my fault they’re dead…”

Callum cups her face, running his thumb along her cheekbone and she looks directly into his eyes. “It was not your fault,” he says firmly, his jaw set and determined. “You saved Zym, Rayla. It is because of you that peace has a chance. You are a hero. And the others… well, I bet you they’ll see that in time. But until then, you’ll always have a home with me. I love you. I really love you. And I always will.”

Rayla chokes back a sob, pressing her lips to his as Callum lets her draw closer so there is not even a breath of space between them. “I love you too,” she whispers as they break apart for air, their noses just touching. As one, they move away from the clearing, stepping through the forest and back to their friends. Whatever the future holds, whatever perils they face, Callum is right. They have each other. He is her home and he will be forever. 


End file.
